Assistant Director of FirstColgate

Colgate University

Assistant Director of FirstColgate

Requisition Number: 2026S019Posting

Full Time/Part Time: Full Time

Division: Dean of the College

Department: Dean of the College

Wage/Salary Range: $62,355-$64,600

Department Statement

Colgate University has been recognized on the 2026 Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs list by The EDU Ledger and ACPA. This honor highlights Colgate’s dedication to a positive work environment, focusing on family friendliness, salary and benefits, and professional growth.

The Assistant Director of First@Colgate collaborates closely with other professionals across the Dean of the College division and the University to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for first-generation and underrepresented student populations. The Assistant Director’s primary responsibilities include coordinating, planning, implementing and evaluating support services for First@Colgate. The Assistant Director assumes a lead role in planning and coordinating Pre-Orientation programs for underrepresented student populations and provides support to the Office of Undergraduate Studies Summer Institute. The Assistant Director connects students with campus resources and provides programming on a wide range of topics including academic, transition, and financial matters as well as post-graduation preparation.

Accountabilities

Reporting to the Assistant Dean for Administrative Advising and Director of First@Colgate, the Assistant Director is an equity-minded practitioner, educator, and advisor/mentor. The assistant director position requires experience in program development and implementation, building partnerships across a university/college campus, counseling, advising or mentoring and knowledge of campus resources.

Program Design, Implementation, and Execution

• Assist with, and often take a lead role in, the planning, implementation, and assessment of programming related to the strategic goals of First@Colgate, the Dean of the College Division, and the University’s Third Century Plan.
• Ability to apply techniques of assessment to measure programmatic effectiveness. Utilize assessment to refine initiatives; monitor and evaluate student progress, engagement and success.
• The assistant director must be able to take direction and initiative, work independently while managing multiple priorities, and support the vision of the assistant dean.
• Assist in the development of the First@Colgate annual report and data analysis.
• Serve as an institutional resource and advocate for first- generation and underrepresented students, working closely with faculty, staff, alumni and other stakeholders to coordinate supplemental educational programming, transition, and support services.
• Provide programmatic support to the OUS Summer Institute.
• Collaborate with other University Offices to plan and coordinate Pre-Orientation programming.
  
  

Student Staff Supervision

• Supervise undergraduate staff members who work with First@Colgate. Coordinate training, facilitate onboarding, and provide ongoing evaluation and professional development opportunities for student employees.
  
  

Student and Community Engagement

• Encourage leadership identity development through training, mentorship, and the development of accountability measures. This may also include identifying, coordinating travel to and accompanying students at leadership conferences and retreats.
• Lead first-gen week programming committee.
• Serve as a university contact for the First-Gen Forward Network. Promote, champion and sustain student success initiatives in support of Colgate’s designation as a First-Gen Forward Institution.
• Serve as a mentor to students helping facilitate social, leadership, academic, and identity development, financial literacy and to encourage their holistic well-being, self-advocacy, and ability to utilize resources and support services.
• Coordinate and/or oversee the distribution of a First@Colgate newsletter and monitor and maintain First@Colgate social media accounts.
• Serve as an institutional resource and first-generation advocate, identifying opportunities for ally development, interdepartmental collaboration, and community partnerships.
• Represent First@Colgate through participation in campus-wide initiatives and committees within the Dean of the College Division and University.
  
  

Leadership

• Assist the assistant dean and director in budget management, internal and external reporting, communications, assessment, and other administrative tasks as needed.
• Possess high levels of professional acumen, judgment, and leadership and serve in a variety of capacities in the absence of the director.
• Serve in other capacities as needed.
  
  

This position has been designated as a Campus Security Authority (CSA), in accordance with the federal statutory requirements of the Jeanne Clery Act. CSA’s are required to and responsible for reporting allegations of crimes they receive from students and employees to the Campus Safety Department.

Professional Experience/Qualifications

• Demonstrated success in developing programs and services that promote student success and support for first-generation students and other underrepresented groups.
• An understanding of issues facing contemporary higher education, specifically with regards to access retention, and diversity, equity, and inclusion is required.
• Ability to apply student development, identity development, intersectionality, and/or social justice frameworks to programs, trainings, and interactions with the Colgate community.
• Demonstrated understanding and success in applying principles of fiscal responsibility and ethical behavior in the workplace, including a commitment to confidentiality.
• Demonstrated skills in project management, including data gathering and analysis, presentation skills, strategic project planning and project implementation.
• Team-oriented with excellent interpersonal and intercultural communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with staff, faculty and administrators in support of departmental and division goals and priorities.
• Experience in supervising or advising students and/or other staff.
• Experience managing and promoting events, initiatives, and programs through social media outlets and other online platforms.
• Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills are also essential.
• Individual should be an effective collaborator and work well as a member of a team.
• Must be capable of working collegially with a diverse group of students, faculty, and staff on a daily basis.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with first-generation and underrepresented student populations required; relevant experience in higher education strongly preferred.
  
  

Education

• A Master’s degree is preferred; preferably in higher education, student affairs, ethnic studies, social sciences or related fields.
• In lieu of a Master’s degree, a Bachelor’s degree is required in combination with 2-3 years of comparable full-time experience.
  
  

Other Information

Work Schedule:

Job Open Date: 02/17/2026

Job Close Date: 2/17/2027

Open Until Filled Yes

Special Instructions Summary

To view the full job posting and apply for this position, go to: https://careers.colgate.edu/postings/6784

The University recognizes that equal employment opportunity can only be achieved through demonstrated leadership. It is the Policy of the University to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and train employees on the basis of skills and experience, capacity to do the job, and valid job qualifications without regard to any characteristics protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.

CAMPUS CRIME REPORTING AND STATISTICS

The Department of Campus Safety will provide upon request a copy of Colgate’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. This report includes statistics as reported to the United States Department of Education for the previous three years concerning reported: 1. crimes that occurred on-campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Colgate University; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus and 2. fires that occurred in student housing facilities. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security and fire safety, such as policies concerning sexual assault, life safety systems, and other related matters. You may access the report from the Clery Compliance web page at: https://www.colgate.edu/about/offices-centers-institutes/dean-college/campus-safety-staff/clery-compliance. Printed copies of this report may be obtained upon request from the Department of Campus Safety via e-mail at cusafety@colgate.edu.

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